If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Tie one end of the rope to a tree. Tie two Alpine knots in the rope at the distance you want to hang your hammock. Hang your hammock on the Alpine knots. Adjust the distance between the Alpine knots to get a good hang.

So what am I mssing?

that will work fine, that's the still the same concept as the more common ways.

since you are doing this to a claytor and a clark, your ridgeline will need to be at least as high as the top of the netting, which is several inches higher than the hammocks suspension/end points.

i like mine outside the netting. it's easier to remove that way too. the only reason to have one inside is to support the netting (that's why a hh is inside) it might make the netting on the claytor tighter though, which you may or may not care about, and i don't know if it would even work. getting it the exact height would be the thing.

anyways, decide the height of your ridgeline. the lowest option is probably better b/c it will determine how low you can hang your tarp (on the claytor anyway). i would put it right at the top of the netting on both hammocks.

once you know the height of it, you can see just where it will intersect the support ropes.

hang it like you like it without a ridgeline. have someone else lay in it after it is adjusted. use string or something to mimic a real ridge. set it to the height you want it to be, mark the intersection point on each support rope, also measure the distance between these points (your ridge distance).

from here you can do whatever, you can use as few or as many different pieces as you like. you could put a ring at each intresection point, and use 5 pieces of line, you could tie a bight in the suspension rope at the intersection point and attach the ridgeline to that, you could tie the ridge to the trees and tie bights in it, and attach the support ropes to them. regardless, the location of the intersection points and the ridge distance you need/choose is the same, connect the dots any way you like.

for the claytor, i would join the webbing somehow to make a single suspension point at each end and start from there.

the way you chose to do it doesn't really matter unless you want it to be easily removable, adjustable ect.

just use whatever strength you use for the support ropes, although you could probably go down a few sizes if you are concerned about weight, which you probably aren't, considering the weight of the clark.

just curious, never seen a clark. do you lay diagonal like in a hh, or more inline?

wouldn't a bight in the support line weaken the line? Is there a way to tie the ridgeline to the support ropes that will prevent it from slipping down the support rope?

I can sleep diagonally in the Clark but I'm just as comfortable sleeping straight on my back or side. I got spoiled before buying the Clark by sleeping in a 60" wide asym parachute hammock as a test for whether or not I'd be able to sleep in a hammock.

most people avoid this by having a eno style hammock. you don't have to go up the suspension line, you attach it at the very bottom where the hammock itself keeps it from slipping down.

i would think in your situation, the alpine butterfly might be stronger than a overhand bight or a fig 8 bight, and it's difinately much easier to untie if you want to make a change. i would use it for this reason alone if i were to go with a bight.

couldn't say if a bight would weaken any more than the other knots you would otherwise have to tie.

if you don't mind an extra ounce, i think alum. rings would look nice and neat and work great.

the hardest part will be tying all the lines the exact distance, but this will be the case with any option you choose due to the elevated ridgeline situation.

The Clark does not ever acheive a flat position like the HH. It is normally hung loosely with the ropes as high up the tree as you can reach. It is comfortable but you do have to hit that magic sag point. A ridgeline can help but would have to be attached at bug net height further up the rope than the HH.

After fooling around with the Clark it seems the best arrangement for me is to tie the support ropes to biners and use a combination of the slap strap and repositioning of the biners to adjust the hang. Not the most convenient solution but it works for now. I'll probably give the ring buckle solution a try to ease the adjustment process.

However, I also tied thin bungee cord (the kind used in tent poles) from the outside loops on the bug net/weather shield to the biners so that the bug net/weather shield stays in an upright position. I used bungee cord because it will stretch when I get in the hammock. Otherwise, the cord between the biner and the loops might be too tight and either break the line or tear out the loops when I get in the hammock..

I ran the code from the loop to the biner and back to the loop, then tied a tauthitch so I can adjust the line after I'm in the hammock. I did all this after I had removed the fly and haven't had a chance to consider how it will affect the placement of the fly, but I may just use a separate line altogether for the fly.

This will also help a bit with placement of the hang, although not as accurately as a ridgeline. In essence I just need to adjust the hang until the bungee cords put just enough pressure on the bug net/ weather shield to keep it in an upright position with nothing in the hammock.

I guess I could also just pack a protractor to get the same hang everytime.